Timeline For New Fisker Karmas: 'Within A Year'...Hopefully

The assets of the bankrupt Fisker Automotive are now in the process of being transferred to winning bidder Wanxiang America, but already the new owners have started to discuss their plans for the automaker.

The latest news nugget is that Wanxiang hopes to restart production of the Karma range-extended electric luxury sedan "within a year," if all goes according to plan.

The quote, from Wanxiang America head Pin Ni, came in a short piece published Monday by Reuters.

As for sales, Ni declined to specify numeric targets, but said that "obviously we want to sell more" Karmas than the 2,000 or so Fisker was able to deliver before it was forced to shut down production in July 2012.

Fisker Atlantic concept unveiling before New York Auto Show, April 2012

Ni also told Reuters that Wanxiang wants to finish the development work on Fisker's second product, a mid-size range-extended electric sedan called the Atlantic.

Last week, Ni told Reuters that the company would offer the revived Karma with either its original range-extended electric powertrain or a powerful V-8, in partnership with VL Automotive, which had engineered a Corvette-engined variant of the sedan called the Destino.

Much remains to be revealed about Wanxiang's long-term plans for Fisker--including its assembly locations, both immediately and ultimately.

Options include Finland, where the first Karmas were built by subcontactor Valmet; Michigan, where VL Automotive has a production facility; Delaware, the site of an empty former GM factory that Fisker bought in 2010 but never occupied; and China.

For all the latest updates on the Karma over its long and tortured product life, see our Fisker Karma News page.